Angels' Wilson altered offseason routine in hopes for more success

"I didn't have a good season," Wilson said. "Some of my games were really good, and some of my games were really terrible. That's the hard thing." In order to combat that, Wilson threw nine bullpen sessions during the offseason to get an early start on his mechanics and location.

When asked about what led to his down year in 2014, Wilson pointed to injuries. "I would advise myself to never pitch when I'm sick and never pitch when I'm hurt, because then I'm not any good," he said.

Wilson went on the disabled list with an ankle injury in July. He was able to return in August, but said he didn't fully recover until after the season. The 34-year-old is coming off a season in which he posted a 4.51 ERA over 175 2/3 innings. He led the American League with 85 walks.

Angels GM DiPoto: I'm not shopping C.J. Wilson

"We have not picked up the phone and offered him," DiPoto told the Orange County Register.

Wilson is coming off one of his poorest seasons. He managed a 13-10 record, but his 4.51 ERA was his worst as a major league starter.

Angels GM standing behind C.J. Wilson's 'track record'

by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(11/12/14) Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto has full confidence in starting pitcher C.J. Wilson, despite the left-handed hurler having a rough finish to the season, which included being pulled in the first inning of a playoff game against the Royals.

"I’m very confident in C.J. Wilson," Dipoto said Tuesday, per The Orange County Register. "There is nothing physically that holds him back from being C.J. Wilson. This year he was outstanding for the first six or eight weeks, and then he came unglued. But he’s got a track record."

Wilson, who went 13-10 with a 4.51 ERA in 31 starts in 2014, is under contract for two more seasons and is due to make $20 million in 2016. He has a limited no-trade clause, where he can block trades to eight teams, according to Baseball-Reference.com.

Angels to call upon Matt Shoemaker, C.J. Wilson in ALDS

by R.J. White | CBSSports.com

(10/1/14) The Angels announced the team's rotation plans for the American League Division Series Wednesday, with Matt Shoemaker drawing the start in Friday's Game 2 and C.J. Wilson taking the mound for Game 3 Sunday.

Shoemaker hasn't made an appearance since Sept. 15 while recovering from an oblique injury. He went 16-4 with a 3.04 ERA and 124:24 K:BB ratio in 136 innings. Wilson finished the regular season with a 4.51 ERA and 151:85 K:BB ratio in 175 2/3 innings.

C.J. Wilson expected to start Game 2 of ALDS for Angels

by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(9/30/14) Angels manager Mike Scioscia told reporters Tuesday he will announce Wednesday the starter for Game 2 of the ALDS. It is expected to be C.J. Wilson, according to The Orange County Register.

03/03/2015 10:37Starting pitcher tiers for Draft Day 2015
With so much talent at the top of the pitching ranks, our Scott White had to re-think his overall strategy. Get a closer look with starting pitcher tiers for Draft Day.

2014 summary: In an era when a WHIP north of 1.25 is considered high even for starting pitchers, C.J. Wilson was pushing the boundaries of competent with a 1.34 mark in his first two years with the Angels. He stopped getting away with it in 2014, his high walk rate and average home run rate finally translating to his ERA. His 4.51 mark was ninth-worst among qualifying starting pitchers, and it jumped to 5.64 from June 1 on.

Playing time status: Of course, Wilson's greatest strength during his four-year run of Fantasy excellence was his durability, which made his fall in 2014 seem even steeper. After averaging 210.5 innings from 2010 to 2013, he fell short of 180 last year, missing most of July with a sprained ankle. His arm remains in good shape, though, with no known problems since he had bone chips removed from his elbow two years ago.

2015 outlook: Wilson's stuff didn't appear to change all that much, so 2014 may have simply been a case of everything that could go wrong going wrong for the 34-year-old left-hander. But as bad as his control is, you could argue those struggles were a long time coming. You would think the high pitch counts would take a toll on his innings after a while, which would leave him with few redeeming qualities. He'll be drafted late in most leagues because of his history, but calling him a sleeper is taking it a bit far.
(Updated 12/12/14)